


I Hate You (because I know you'd never love me back)

by viv_likes_stars



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Ambitious But Rubbish, BAMF Natasha Romanov, BAMF Pepper Potts, BAMF Tony Stark, Bisexual Steve Rogers, Domestic Avengers, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, F/M, Gay Tony Stark, High School, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Howard Starks a shitty person, Hurt/Comfort, I Don't Even Know, I Tried, M/M, Maria Stark's A+ Parenting, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Pepper Potts Is a Good Bro, Protective Natasha Romanov, Protective Steve Rogers, Protective Tony Stark, Slow Burn, Steve Rogers Feels, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro, Stony - Freeform, Stony is elite, Tony Stark Does What He Wants, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Daddy Issues, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Touch-Starved, canon compliant child neglect, high school avengers, if i have the patience
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:27:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27379456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/viv_likes_stars/pseuds/viv_likes_stars
Summary: Steve Rogers has secrets, Tony already knows the biggest oneTony Stark has secrets, and he's doing his best to hide them all.neither of them particularly like each other, but hey, fate is making them lab partners.AKAIt's a high school au, theres pining. oh and it's enemies to lovers. Except it happens really fast because I don't have patience.Also I'm awful at summaries.
Relationships: Natasha Romanov & Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark, i don't have the energy to tag
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	I Hate You (because I know you'd never love me back)

“Everyone head into the lab and sit with one other person, remember two people per bench!” Mrs. Cave smiled from the front of the classroom.

Tony made brief eye contact with Bruce who nodded at him. The two boys slid into opposite stools at the bench grabbing the briefing from the table.

“Alright, welcome to a new semester” The woman went on. “Today I wanted to do something fun so you could all get to know your lab partners and figure out how to work around each other. Working with a new partner can be difficult, so before we hop into, you know, dangerous chemicals, I thought we could do a flame test” She said clasping her hands together.

Tony unintentionally let out a groan which got a couple of glares form around the class. They were Seniors, and they were doing a god-damned flame test.

“She’s got to know that everybody is with someone they already know doesn’t she” Bruce whispered under his breath.

That was unsettling, it stood out to the smaller boy. “So she’s switching our partners” Tony groaned. “I fucking hate this” he added in a dramatic whisper.

And mere seconds later as he tuned back in the boys’ suspicions were confirmed “Everybody closer to the door move one bench over clockwise”

There was a collective groan, and Tony’s stomach sank when he looked to his right. Steve. Fuck.

He didn’t really hate Steve. Except his father was overly invested in the fucking jerks life, and nobody else seemed to notice or at least care that he walks around with a stick up his ass. Rogers who was for a solid four years known as ‘kid America’ was the only subject that some sort of formula worked on. He disappeared from the publics eye for a few years, and Tony was in no rush to tell his father that his protege-child had returned. Along with that, he’d _heard_ Steve agree with assholes like Rumlow calling him a ‘spoilt daddies boy’ or 'egotistical and bratty' which hit particularly hard because apparently the blonde was the ‘nicest person on earth!’. Tony was subconsciously tapping his pencil on the lab counter ignoring the anxiety rising in his stomach. He briefly wondered how much of what he remembered hearing was true. His dad did say that he had a tendency to make everything seem worse than it was because he hadn’t experienced any real adversity. Howard was right.

“Hi” Steve said awkwardly sliding onto his stool.

Tony nodded at him. “So flame test” he mumbled. Tony was mostly only cocky and charismatic when other people started malicious conversations with him, he wasn’t really the best communicater.

Steve nodded “Anthony right?”

Tony shifted awkwardly at the use of his full name “it’s Tony” the boy snapped. He didn’t want to hear it at eight thirty in the morning. He could practically imagine the glare he’d be getting from Jarvis.  
“Geez okay sorry-“ Steve said defensively.

“When have you ever heard anybody call me-“ he grimaced slightly “ _Anthony_ ”

”So you are constantly in a shit mood" Steve commented lightly, it came off far worse than he intended.

“Does the serum help you jump to conclusions?” Tony muttered sarcastically.

He had intended to not mention that he knew that piece of information. Most people didn’t even know the ‘miracle-child’s’ first name, but you know, when your father is over-invested in their life you’re kinda forced into learning that stuff.

Steve was slightly taken aback. He hadn’t shared that information with anyone. No one had even questioned it at this point. Sure he had striking resemblance to the so-called super-serum guinea-pig kid. But that had been ten years ago, surely no one would suspect anything. You can’t be thirteen one day and seventeen ten years later.

“Yknow the scandal with coach Maxon, steroids, Gatorade-“ Tony said casually. He enjoyed the brief look of fear in Steve’s eyes.

Against his will the taller of the two boys exhales in relief.

“Oh that yeah no, never was involved, I don’t drink energy drinks they don’t do much for me anyway. Fast metabolism” he said flashing a smile.

Tony nodded. He enjoyed knowing things when the people they involved didn’t know he knew.

“So uh we should probably start the lab right?” Steve added shifting awkwardly. Most people were trying to light their Bunsen Burners with their flint strikers.

“Sure” Tony mumbled skimming through the instructions. He grabbed the equipment necessary for the lab and piled it onto their bench.

Steve began organizing the different liquids so they’d line up with their slot on the chart in their lab books when he noticed tony was struggling to find the burner tubing.

“Here” Steve said holding out the hose like object.

Tony cleared his throat awkwardly his voice sinking into a quieter than usual tone “I don’t like being handed things”

Steve gave him his best rendition of the ‘what the actual fuck’ face before sliding it across the table.

Tony waited a few half-seconds before grabbing it and attaching it, quickly lighting the Bunsen burner, using the striker only once as though he’d done it a million times before, he probably had.

“I mean we don’t really have to do all of this stuff, I know the outcome if you want to skip it-“ Tony said playing with the edge of his sheet of paper glancing at the filled in table “but it is pretty cool if you haven’t seen it before, and you don’t strike me as a science person”

Steve could’ve been over thinking it, but the last phrase was said in a bit of an insulting way.

“Do you have them memorized?” Steve said ignoring the latter comment.

Tony shrugged “we’ve done it for the past three years, it’s kind of hard to forget” he said in a bit of a patronizing tone.

Steve couldn’t help but roll his eyes,he could practically feel Natasha smirk from her bench across the classroom. She was with one of her other closest friends Clint, Sharon and Rumlow were laughing about something or other, and it seemed like Thor from the football team was getting on well with that scrawny kid who’d been partnered with Tony. Glancing around at the rest of the class he realized that he and Tony appeared to be the only duo that weren’t immediately best friends, or whatever, it was kind of freaking aggravating.

Tony cocked his brow up, “so are you going to sit and stare into space or are you going to do the flame test?”

“Are you going to keep annoying me for the rest of the year?”  
“Yeah, it’s not my fault your my lab partner” Tony replied recording the lilac-y colour of potassium. Steve simply copied what he did with another element.

“And it’s mine?” Steve said in disbelief. This kid really was just as entitled as everyone said.

“No, but y’know, everyone needs a scape goat” he shrugged. “These ones aren’t worth doing their like yellowy-orange colours do these ones they’re cooler” Tony added scribbling a bit on Steves page. Steve glowered slightly and was going to erase the pencil markings, but he didn’t really want to waste a bunch of tooth picks on elements that wouldn’t even change the colour of the fire.

“Thanks” Steve smiled.

Tony was tapping his foot against the stool elbows slapped across the lab-bench. He was making eye contact with Nat as if to simply say please kill me. She understood the message giving him a sympathetic smile and a fake bullet to the chest. He’d been staring out the window when he and Steve accidentally brushed arms. Tony pulled his stool away by a good three feet on impulse. Which received an awkward slightly concerned, slightly annoyed look from the taller of the two.

“Don’t hand me stuff, don’t touch me, honestly just like, stay on your side of the table maybe” Tony explained in a tone that seemingly only he could do. “I don’t need your himbo-ness getting on my genius” He added with a smirk.

Steve rolled his eyes moving his stool farther away from Tony. “Your a handful” he exhaled.  
“Yeah, I already know that” Tony mumbled. He glanced up at the clock and began prematurely cleaning their station.

“I haven’t used that one yet-“ Steve protested as he grabbed a beaker of boron.

“It’s green” Tony replied dumping it into one of the chemical waste bins.

Steve sighed “You know we’re actually supposed to complete the lab-“

“I have, like four times now” Tony shrugged shoving his papers into his back-pack in an unorganized fashion.

“I just have to be the luckiest person in here” Steve sighed sarcastically, it was almost un-audible thanks to the bell.

Friday.

Tony sat knee bouncing at the lab bench, class was starting in four minutes and he was the only person in the room, which was kind of awkward. He didn’t wan’t to seem to eager to learn. He didn’t need to support that part of the reputation. Reputations were stupid. He wouldn’t support any of that shit. Except perhaps the whole man-whore part, it seemed to take away from the whole possible-fag thing.

“Nervous your boyfriend isn’t going to show up?” Natasha purred leaning over his table.

“Seriously, I hate him, can you maybe stop?” He glared, sleep deprivation was weighing the bags under his eyes down.

“Probably. Am I going to? Probably not”

“Everyone steals my catch phrases and uses them against me, I coined that phrase this isn’t fair-“ Tony groaned snapping back into a more playful tone.

“Ah, just gives you something else to cry about” Nat laughed walking back to her seat.

“You suck” Tony grumbled sticking his tongue out at her immaturely. 

They were around halfway through class when Steve heard the smaller boy’s tool creaking.

“You’re going to crack your head open” Steve chided quietly pushing Tony’s back forward, and by association the stool back on four legs

Tony launched forward back arching away from the touch. “ _Fuck_ don’t sneak up on me what the hell Rogers-“ he cursed under his breath his hands flying around his neck.

Steve pulled his hand back quickly, “Sorry about that-“ he was staring at Tony, which received an intense glare as the brunette’s hands retreated from his neck

“But seriously don’t lean on your chair like that you’ll-“  
“Yeah great lesson mom I’ll be sure to keep it in mind” he snarked glancing up at the clock. “Only forty minutes left with you” he added under his breath.

Steve was slightly taken aback “Sorry?”, it wasn’t a question, more like questioning wether or not it was the right thing to say He said awkwardly reaching for the work sheet being passed around. Tony moved away despite the lack of contact. Steve couldn’t help but feel as though it was specifically just to annoy him, he’d never seen Tony act like that when he totally didn’t watch him from across the classroom the year before. That definitely never happened. Hell even Natasha had ruffled his hair a couple of times, and they couldn’t know each other that well, Nat had never mentioned Tony.

“Ew you _are_ nice, that’s boring” Tony commented pulling his phone out under the table.

“Shouldn’t you be focusing?” Steve said jotting something down on the work sheet.

“I finished already” Tony shrugged “want my answers?”

“No. I don’t cheat, I believe in academic integrity Tony” Steve muttered.

“Sorry I was just trying to-“ he sighed making faces at Natasha. 

“You know I _can_ see you mouthing help me to her” Steve muttered.

“Don’t worry it’s just our sense of humour.” Tony said in a bit of an annoyed tone.

“Sure.” Steve replied.

And that’s how it was, for weeks. Steve would make an effort Tony would snap, Tony would make an effort Steve would lecture.

It wasn’t a big deal for the time being, they were in the middle of a pretty hands-off unit, but their organic-chem lab was coming up.

As the bell rang Nat came up to their desk, “Are you watching the game tomorrow?” She asked staring at the window.

“I’m play-“  
“No” Tony cut Steve off. “When have I ever watched a-“  
“I thought you’d want to get out there” She leaned up to his ear “I mean Rogers, tight pants” she teased.  
Tony felt his face physically heat up (against his will), and it didn’t help that fucking blondie with the biceps was staring at them as if he were trying to decipher what she said. Either way, Natasha had the ability to be discreet.

“Tasha-“ he protested turning around and almost knocking the un-lit Bunsen burner over.

“It’s not like your doing anything” Natasha mused on.

Tony frowned. “I actually have plans” he replied slinging his bag on his shoulder and turning around.

“Like what moping about life and procrastinating in the library?” She cocked a brow up.

“I’m” Tony paused. “Going to Rhodeys-“  
“Rhodey? As in James Rhodes? As in last years captain? As in texted me to tell me he was watching the big game tonight Rhodes? Is he not coming anymore?“ Steve said interjecting in a fully naive and confused tone.  
“Oh fuck I hate the stupid football team“ Tony murmured mostly to himself.

“Well it’s settled, you do have plans, and they are to come to the game I will get physical if I have to”

Tony gave her the bird as he walked out of the classroom.

“Sit with me in History?” The ginger said turning to Steve.  
“You never mentioned that you knew him” the boy in question said eyes gazing back at the redhead.

“It never came up” Nat replied with a shrug. “He didn’t know we talk either, don’t take it personally”

“It just means he’ll be harder to avoid-“ Steve said curtly, it wasn’t a whine, or a sarcastic comment, simply a fact.

Natasha laughed “I think he’s funny”

Steve raised an eye brow at her “When did narcissism become humour?”  
“You haven’t reached the inferiority complex yet, I see the problem” the smaller of the two snickered.

Steve gave her a look.

“I’m literally kidding Rogers, Tony’s right you need to ‘chill the fuck out’-“ She said as they began walking down the hallway.

Steve nodded before whipping his head towards her “you _talk_ about me with other people?” are you fucking kidding me face.

Nat shrugged “mostly people talk to me, you _are_ the football captain Steve what did you expect?”

“People do this for fun?” A snarky voice managed to cut through the sound of the crowd and into Natasha’s ear. Clint was on her right, he and Tony hadn’t talked much yet, but they seemed to get along really well.

“Yes, because it _is_ fun, where’s your school spirit Stark?” She teased.

“You never came to any games when I was captain” Rhodey whined from his position next to them. “Was I not attractive enough Tones?”  
Tony gave him a face (and a middle finger, but the amount of times Tony does that makes it hard to record every single on on paper)

“I could always die my hair blonde-“ James teased.  
“I have said _nothing_ about thinking Steve’s attractive!” Tony pouted in an exasperated tone.

“Than how’d you know who we were talking about?” Nat teased.

“Who _else_ would you be-“  
“Pepper, Thor, Sharon Carter, Ruby Hale, Carol Danvers-“ Nat listed off the top of her head.

“Okay well he was right in front of us-“ Tony protested.

“You’ve been talking about him for years. What was it again. He’s _incredibly thick, something something ass-_ “  
“Thick as in stupid, ass as in stick up it, and talking as in complaining” Tony grumbled. “I don’t want to be here anymore” he groaned.

“Your such a loser, hopelessly in love with the football captain-“ Rhodes joked, poking the bear was always fairly amusing.

“The ex-football captain, whose not playing varsity football at college, and is coming back to watch a high school game is calling me a loser, I’ve hit a new low” Tony quipped a smirk tugging at his lips.

“That was just rude-“ Rhodes protested.  
“It was valid, no offence-“ Natasha said blankly staring at the football players.

“Hey, I _barely_ know you-“  
Nat shrugged her and Tony laughing a bit.

“I have heard _a lot_ about you”  
“Where’d Clint go?” Tony added leaning forwards “he fully would’ve backed me up here-“

Nat glanced around “secret girlfriend” She giggled. They laughed because it _was_ a joke right? Clint… girlfriend? As if.

And suddenly the focus was away from himself and was fully on the players. Steve got a... point? Goal? Score? Touch... in?? Tony wasn’t overly invested, he found his brain wandering.

Little red and blue skirts swirling behind the home team, black and pink across the field.

_The S is for super and_

_The U is for united_

The voices were powerful. He looked around, sets and sets of eyes gawking at the cheerleaders in front of him. He swallowed slightly. Little skirts swaying left and right hiking up, he bit the inside of the cheek every time he found himself watching the stupid fucking captain. He was supposed to be watching the cheer squad. He knew he was supposed to be watching the cheer squad. It was like that stupid party he went to with Pepper in ninth grade again. Pepper and him even dated for a bit in an attempt to make Howard a little less insane. Either way, Tony hadn’t even considered the possibility of him having a ~crush~ on him (thats definitely a lie) but then stupid Rhodey and stupid Nat had to tease him and put stupid thoughts into his stupid fucking head. And the golden-boy in question was his lab partner. For the rest of the fucking year.

_Oh,_ and the golden-boy in questions, also happened to be his fathers proudest achievement, the family favourite dinner table conversation, the constant comparison, and the only thing his father seemed to be emotionally invested in.

_The P is for perfection and you know we are excited_

Fucking Steve. His annoyingly perfect face, his fathers annoyingly perfect perception of him.

_The E is for energetic and_

_The R is for Rad_

Tony didn’t have the energy to worry about this shit, he had a million other things to be panicking about. This is what a normal teenager would worry about, he _wasn’t allowed_ to be a normal teenager, he couldn’t afford to be.

_so tell the other team_

_We’re the best and we’re glad!_

They definitely weren’t the best. Tony couldn’t help but grin when Steve was body slammed into the ground.

His life was so confusing.

Was it physically possible to you know _like_ someone and hate them? That answer didn’t matter because Tony _did not_ like Steve. Not in a romantic way, not in a sexual way, not in a platonic way, and not even in a your some random kid that is my lab partner kind of way. He hated Steve. And it would stay that way, it’s easier to be a fighter than a lover anyways.

Now, he would never admit it, but by the end of the game Tony found himself on a bit of an adrenaline rush.

“So! Fun right?” Nat grinned as they walked down the steps to the subway. Tony rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, _sooooo fun_ ” He said with a bit of a chuckle.

“Can you come to the post-game at Thor’s or do you have a curfew or something?” The redhead added jumping the barrier. Tony followed suit.

“I don’t have a curfew, but I do have family dinner that I’m already sixty four minutes late to” He laughed, it was an effortless lie, easy.

Nat nodded. They never got personal. They were close, obviously, but both of them had this unspoken bond on trust. She’d never tried to push things out of him. The only time they’d ever gotten ‘intimate’ was when they were shit faced in Clints apartment. Neither of them quite remember what they talked about but they sure as hell didn’t fuck.

“Well scurry home Stark, god forbid you miss dessert” She teased.

Tony deadpanned “we’re on the subway smart-ass”

“Whoah! I had no idea” Nat rolled her eyes.

Their friendly bantered continued until Tonys stop. He still had a twenty minute walk, living in a fancy ass neighbourhood near New York, New York meant no Subway’s got that close. He had a gut feeling that he was going to be in deep shit and by briefly glancing at his phone, eighteen missed calls from a mix of Jarvis his Mom and his Dad he confirmed his suspicions. He walked through the door at ten-forty pm. The heavy door made a loud noise despite his attempt to be careful.

“Anthony” his father called sitting in the living room.

That was off-putting, the house was usually empty, it almost seemed like nobody lived their so why the fuck was someone in the living room?

Tony nodded curtly at his father heading towards the grand-staircase. He slipped his shoes off and his socks were padding against the cold white marble floor.

“Come here please” Howard said sternly. It wasn’t really welcoming, or an option.

Tony nodded again standing on the edge of the expensive carpet. He made a brief eye contact before tucking his hands into his pockets. He tried to feel if there was still blue paint on his cheek.

The stillness between them felt like a warning, plausibly even a threat.

Steve knew something was off the next day at school.

“Sleep deprived?” He asked.

Tony shrugged “something like that” he said having another sip of his fourth coffee of the day.

“How many hours of sleep do you get on average Tony-“  
“Can we not do this today?” Tony groaned.  
Steve stood their expectantly.

“I don’t know like I’d say six hours every two days give or take-“

“Every- _Every two days?_ Do you have a death wish?”  
“Yeah kind of” Tony shrugged before Steve could reply Tony cocked his head at the teacher, it was a sure fire way of making Steve shut up, threaten him with the whole notion of not being fully-engaged all the time. Fucking maniac.

“Did you like the game?” Steve asked quietly.

“You’re talking in class, this is nice” Tony muttered.

“We did the worksheet yesterday, besides it’s more disrespectful to _fall asleep in class_ ” He said folding his arms. “Stop tilting your chair stark, your going to crack your head open-“

“Yeah no I won’t I just-“  
“I’m just better than everyone else, I don’t get injured, I don’t get sick, and I sure as hell don’t need sleep Steve leave me alone” Steve finished imitating his voice.

Tony couldn’t help but laugh a bit. And Steve felt weirdly proud, Steve had never made Tony laugh like that before. It wasn’t a mocking laugh, or an annoyed laugh, it was an ‘I think your kinda funny laugh’ and _fuck_ Steve most certainly should not be thinking this kind of shit about his lab partner. They weren’t even friends for fuck sake.

“The game was fun, Clint’s commentary was more interesting than your playing though-“

“You just don’t appreciate the game” Steve pouted.

“Au contraire Rogers, I just don’t appreciate your presence there” he snickered.

“Hey! That’s just insulting Tony, do you ever have anything-“  
“I’m kidding Steve you were good, I think I dunno I don’t play football” he replied.

“What sports do you do?" Steve asked. He usually tried to go out and watch a couple game of every sport (girls and boys of course) but he figured he'd missed some, or just not noticed some people. 

Tony laughed slightly “I don’t do any Steve, my parents are, um, I have a lot of other things to do, I guess, I did marshal arts for a while, just a bit of everything mostly boxing, did it with a friend Happy, but he’s at college right now and it didn’t feel the same alone” he shrugged. “That’s actually how I met Natasha”

Well Steve was making progress, Tony had never spoken that much about himself, ever.

**Author's Note:**

> This is a total mess and it ends really badly, but obviously more chapters are coming, probably not as long as this, and hopefully edited a little better.  
> I'm looking for a beta! If you're willing just sauce your tumblr :)


End file.
